Getting to Know: Rachele Hauck

Rachele Hauck, a former basketball player at the College of the Ozarks and drug and alcohol counselor, enjoys spending her 40-plus hours a week as an elementary school counselor in St. James.

By Jim Brock

Rachele Hauck, a former basketball player at the College of the Ozarks and drug and alcohol counselor, enjoys spending her 40-plus hours a week as an elementary school counselor in St. James.
And the story of how she made the transition into the field of education is an interesting story.
“Eventually, I moved to Rolla and worked for Prevention Consultants of Missouri and went back to school for my Masters, and eventually my school certification.
“Part of my job a Prevention Consultants of Missouri was the Families and Schools Together Program, where I had the opportunity to work with the great staff at Lucy Wortham James Elementary and Joy Tucker.
“When the Elementary Counselor job came open, I jumped at the opportunity. My childhood was not easy, so I am rewarded each day when I can make this life a little better for others.”
What do you love most about working with students in St. James?
I love how accepting they are. They make me feel special every day and always make me smile.
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
Short-term, I would like to get back in college shape, be the best counselor I can be, and continue to travel. Long-term, believe it or not I have accomplished most of the things on my bucket list, so I would have to say, “I want to watch one of the kids I helped in Elementary School grow up to change the world, in a good way.”
What do you love most about St. James?
I love that it is a small town, and that you know everyone, and there is always someone who will help you. I love that the whole town comes out to watch Elementary students parade in their Halloween costumes. I love that we can still pray in public, and that we truly help our neighbors.
What do you do to relax?
Read or watch t.v./movies. Life is hard, and the best way to relax is to not think about anything that could happen in real life.
What is your favorite book/movie?
Favortie book, “Pride and Prejudice.” I love so many movies, three at the top of the list, “Last of the Mohicans,” “Signs,” and “Gladiator.”
Who is your hero and why?
My hero is a group of women, (Pam, Marsha, Alison, Marty's grandma Tutie), women who have had to survive unbearable grief, and somehow still are the perfect example of strength, love, and faith.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Still here. I am one of the few people who can honestly say, "I love my job."
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Believe it or not, a lawyer, until I watched “Silence of the Lambs” and then I thought the FBI was cool too. Of course, neither was meant for me.
Who inspires you?
Besides Jesus, Victor Frankl. He wrote “Man's Search for Meaning,” which is his journey in a concentration camp. He basically teaches people that it is not what happens to you in life that defines you, it is what you make of your life in spite of it that matters.
What is in your CD player, IPod right now?
You can always find Sister Hazel on my IPod; although Marty started listening to Mumford & Sons, and I am loving them too.